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Nearly Half of Americans Think Twitter Is Not a Good Investment

Nearly 50 percent of Americans do not think Twitter is a good investment, while more than 40 percent of Twitter users have seen promoted content on the micro-blogging platform and most of these users dawdle rather than actively tweet.

In addition, fewer than 50 percent of Americans say that Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest will find success in the next five years.

New findings from a poll commissioned by AP-CNBC reveal that investors question expectations and prospects for long-term success in regard to investments in the days leading to the hotly discussed Twitter IPO.

What Active Investors Think

According to 40 percent of active investors, Twitter is a good investment, whereas 49 percent thought otherwise – a stark contrast from sentiments days before the Facebook IPO.

An AP-CNBC poll conducted in May 2012 found that 54 percent of active investors believed Facebook was a good investment, whereas 38 percent thought otherwise.

What Americans Think

Thirty-six percent of Americans think that purchasing Twitter stock is a good investment, whereas 47 percent say it is not wise to invest.

In May 2012, the same AP-CNBC poll for the Facebook IPO found that 51 percent of Americans believed Facebook was a good investment, whereas 31 percent believed the opposite.

What Young Adults and High Earners Think

The poll finds that young adults and high earners have the least tendency to consider Twitter as a good investment.

Fifty-two percent of people age 18 to 34 say the company is not good business for investing funds, while 56 percent with annual incomes more than $75,000 say Twitter is not a good investment.

Impressions Between Facebook and Twitter

An AP-CNBC poll in May 2012 found that 27 percent of Americans viewed Twitter favorably, but the latest poll finds that it has dropped to 19 percent.

In comparison, an AP-CNBC poll in May 2012 found that 51 percent of Americans viewed Facebook positively, but it dropped to 47 percent based on the latest poll.

Promoted Content on Twitter

Among Twitter account owners, more than 40 percent say that have seen promoted content on the platform, and 31 percent of them say they clicked it.

Doubts Over Success in Social Media Platforms

The survey finds widespread doubt in regard to the staying power of social media, with only less than 50 percent of Americans saying that the six social networks surveyed – Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest– are highly likely to achieve something big in five years.

Thirty-five percent of Americans and 42 percent of active investors believe Twitter will be more successful in five years.

Young Americans and men believe in Twitter’s chances for success in the next five years, with 46 percent of young Americans below 35 years old and 41 percent of men saying the company will find success in five years.

Facebook had the best results among social media companies covered in the survey, with 54 percent of active investors and 49 percent of Americans saying the company will find success in the next five years.

Active investors and high earners believe that LinkedIn will fare better than Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Women see better business for Pinterest in the next five years, as 28 percent of women believe it will happen, as opposed to only 19 percent of men.

Frequent Twitter Users

Nearly 30 percent of Americans say they own a Twitter account or have seen the Twitter feed of another person or company.

While 17 percent of Americans use Twitter at least once a week, the most frequent Twitter users are highly likely to be male (54 percent) than female (46 percent), 50 percent are 18 to 34 years old, 22 percent are 35 to 49 years old, 18 percent are 50 to 64 years old, and 9 percent are 65 years old or older.

Why Use Twitter

About 25 percent of Twitter account owners say they use the site to tweet daily, 35 percent of Twitter users visit daily to read tweets from other people, and 22 percent enter the site daily to tweet and to read.

Fifty-four percent of Americans who own a Twitter account or use it to read tweets from other people never send tweets – these are called “lurkers.”

Nearly 60 percent of frequent Twitter users visit the social network to keep track and updated with breaking news.

Forty-seven percent of frequent Twitter users visit the website even when watching a TV show, while 46 percent of frequent Twitter users do it when watching sporting events.

Thirteen percent of Twitter users, at least once a week, say they visit the site to look for information about customer services for products, and 16 percent of them do it to show their discontentment over a service or product.

Poll Details

GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications conducted the survey on Oct. 25 to 27, 2013 for the Associated Press-CNBC, interviewing 1,006 American adults over landlines and cell phones, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percent.